


Glimpse of Accidental Light

by Iki_teru



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Gen, featuring side order of Alya and Marinette are best friends, friendship fic, insert relevant tags here, mostly fluff with a sprinkling of Moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 14:57:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10467669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iki_teru/pseuds/Iki_teru
Summary: It's the last days of Carnaval, fibs are told to friends and Ladybug and Chat Noir oversee a parade that contains a few surprises, including one unexpected heart to heart moment.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chiomi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiomi/gifts).



> I decided to attempt the "Ladybug and Chat deal with Mardi Gras insanity" portion of the prompt, which involved a rabbit hole of admittedly interesting research into Mardi Gras in Paris. I did take slight liberties with the fictional version of Paris, although Promenade du Boeuf Gras is a real parade and is the one that heralds the end of the Carnaval season (from what I was able to gather from the internet, Mardi Gras day doesn't seem to be that terribly big of a deal? So I hope you don't mind that I scooted it a little.) I -believe- the parade usually features a live cow, which was originally going to have a larger role in this fic but sadly I ran out of time on trying to stage a full akuma battle so certain things were left on the editing floor. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy what made it to the final version! As always con-crit is welcomed and appreciated.

Have i said too much or not enough?

Is it overkill or is it giving up,

To measure out the distance of an echo's reach? - _Accidental Light,_ Sleeping At Last

 

 

  


Saturday evening was filled with homework, homework, and a side order of homework. The four friends were crammed into Marinette's living room, chewing on pens and trying to get ahead on the assignments.

And they _were_ all friends, which Marinette can’t help but think is a miracle and a half in itself as she let her gaze flicker over Adrien- but just once. It's been a solid two months since she last stumbled over her words too terribly badly in front of him. That had been a weird day, the day he made some terrible pun or another- not that she could tell you what it was _now_ because it turned out there were so _many_ , would she never be free of attractive blond boys and terrible puns- and she had unthinkingly groaned and shoved him. And immediately had a heart attack because she just _shoved_ Adrien Agreste.

But she blinked and he laughed, a sound that was full and deep from the belly and smiled at her and yes; it melted her heart a little but it also... shifted her gaze of him. He seemed more somehow, after that day. More real perhaps, and she had gone home and taken down all the embarrassing posters of him and the meticulous schedule; crying "Alya, why didn't you tell me how creepy I was?"

To which her friend just laughed. "Girl, you were harmless. Intense, but harmless. I knew you'd come around sooner or later." And she had, but that wasn't the point.  
  
"Ugh, I'm tired of this!" Alya sighed, flopping across the table, sprawling her arms dramatically and upsetting everyone else's work. "It's the last weekend of Carnaval, who assigns this much homework? We should be out! Enjoying parades! Eating sweets until we burst!"   
  
"We're above a bakery," Nino deadpanned, picking Alya's wrist up delicately and removing it from his physics homework. "I"m sure Marinette's parents would be happy to feed you."   
  
Marinette hummed. "Not unless you plan on buying. You said it yourself; it's the last weekend of Carnaval. The bakery can barely keep things in stock."   
  
Alya sat up, reaching across the table to clasp hands with her best friend. "Are you too being denied sugary goodness?"

Marinette made a face. "Too?"

"Everyone knows Adrien doesn't get real food. Is that what's happening here, are you turning into Agreste 2.0?"   
  
"You do know I'm right here, right?" Adrien never looked up from his homework, intent as he was in actually completing the assignment. "And I'm not denied anything. How many times do I have to tell you: I have a personal chef. I get fed whatever I want whenever I want; sometimes they just make healthy alternatives."   
  
"That sounds like deprivation to me," Alya muttered, sitting back. "Hey, can I borrow your physics homework?" Adrien glared at her, but there was no heat to it. "I just want to double check my answers! I'm totally mostly almost done with the assignment!” She grinned as Adrien slid his papers across the table to her. “You’re beautiful inside and out, Agreste.”

“Less flattery, more ‘checking’ your work.”

There was a moment in which Nino loudly questioned number four on the worksheet, and Adrien leaned over to helpfully explain it, and both girls gave a shriek of dismay. “No playing favorites!” Marinette hissed. “You tutor one of us; you tutor all of us.”

Adrien fixed her with a Look. “Alya has my paper right now. We both know she’s going to copy it and you’re going to copy from her. Nino’s the only one here who _wants_ to learn, hence why he gets special treatment.”

A silence fell over the table. Nino coughed into his hand. “I mean, dude’s not wrong?”

“Then we shan’t be subtle about it.” Alya sniffed, shifting closer to Marinette until they bumped shoulders- Adrien’s worksheet wedged between their own. “Now, back to the important topics.”

“Food?” Marinette nudged Alya’s elbow over so she could get to the last set of problems.

“What? No. I mean, yes we’re coming back to that because I _am_ hungry, but Carnaval! Tomorrow is Promenade du Boeuf Gras, the last parade of the season. I heard this year Chloe pitched a fit about there being a real cow in the parade. Yes, Marinette, she’s awful we know. Yes, Adrien, I’m sure she does have her good qualities however deeply they’re buried. Moving on, so Pimprenelle is going to be some poor person in a cow costume which, unfortunate, but still we should totally all go watch!”

Nino gave an immediate and enthusiastic “I’m down for that.” Which was almost drowned out by the dual sounds of “I can’t.”

Alya raised a hand, palm out and eyes closed, a queen bringing her court to silence. Without looking, she pointed the eraser end of her pencil at Adrien. “I can already guess, but let’s hear your excuse.”

“I have a-” the rest of the group finished the sentence for him: _photoshoot_ punctuated with a multi-voiced groan.

The finger pointing swiveled towards Marinette. “Alright Dupain-Cheng, let’s hear your excuse.”

Marinette gave a sheepish smile. “I have to work too.” Which wasn’t a total lie, she just chose not to elaborate on the fact that it wouldn’t be in the bakery. Ladybug and Chat Noir had also experienced a busy Carnaval season, the festivities and influx of tourists creating a perfect breeding ground for more than the usual amount of akuma. Both heroes had decided that, given the scale of the Promenade du Boeuf Gras, it might not hurt to be out patrolling while the celebration went on. Not that she could tell her friends this (or her family for that matter. Marinette hated having to lie like this; her parents thinking she was going to the parade with her friends and her friends thinking she was holed up in the bakery.)

Alya lifted her glasses so she could drag her hand down her face dramatically and mumble things that sounded suspiciously like _I expected so much more from your parents_. All the while Nino gave sympathetic noises from across the table.

“Well then, maybe I’ll skip and come help out at the bakery? It doesn’t feel right going without my best girl.” Alya cleared her throat. “No offense, Nino.”

Nino covered his heart. “You mean to tell me after all this time I’m _not_ your best girl? You have wounded me beyond words. Adrien hold me; I think I’m gonna cry.”

“That’s sweet of you, Alya but I’d feel worse if we all missed it. You two go, let us know if anything interesting happens.”

It took several back and forths of _are you sure_ and _yes, Alya I swear to god I want you to have fun_ before all parties were satisfied. Meanwhile, across the table Adrien spent the time assuring Nino not to worry because he was Adrien’s best girl.

 

THE NEXT DAY

 

It was two hours before the parade was scheduled to start.High above the city and not so far from the parade’s staging ground stood the heroes of Paris. Ladybug and Chat Noir were tucked away from prying eyes, going over their final routes for the afternoon's festivities. It was only halfway through her spiel about making sure they stayed on the move to cover the most ground that Ladybug realized her partner’s attention was elsewhere.

Chat was more fidgety than usual, bouncing on the balls of his feet and leaning over to peek down at the street. Ladybug frowned, hands fisted on her hips and waited. When it became apparent that she had no chance of Chat refocusing on his own, she cleared her throat. “Something interesting out there?”

Her partner had the decency to flinch before spinning into a grandiose bow. “Nothing more interesting than you, my Lady.”

“Shallow flattery will get you nowhere, _chaton_. Now out with it, why are you so distracted today?”

Chat came out of the bow, shoulders hunched and kitty ears lying slightly flat against his hair and his gaze skittered away from Ladybug’s. “It’s just… I’ve never been to something like this before.” He muttered, scratching at his cheek self-consciously.

“What, the cow parade? I guess it’s a big one but really, it’s just like any other parade.”

Chat continued doing that thing where he didn’t meet Ladybug’s eye. “I’ve never been to any parade.” And the confession was made in such a small, quiet voice that for a moment Ladybug felt cross-eyed and wrong-footed. Whatever had just passed had been a part of her partner she wasn’t familiar with, a peek at the boy beneath the mask. Ladybug sucked in a breath and held it, unsure of what to say in the face of this confession.

A minute passed. The breeze picked up, ruffling Ladybug’s pigtails. Below a shriek of happiness sounded as people began filling in the sides of the street in preparation. Before her stood a Chat who was simultaneously her closest friend and a near perfect stranger. It was something she had avoided thinking about for so long that now it left a physical ache in her chest.  Ladybug sighed, releasing the breath she hadn’t meant to hold and with it all the questions she couldn’t ask.

“Sorry you have to work through your first parade,” Ladybug finally said. The words felt hollow in her mouth. “Maybe you can enjoy the next one as a civilian.”

Just like that, the vulnerability was wiped from Chat’s face. He leaned into her space all Cheshire cat smile, inquiring if this was her way of asking him out on a date. Ladybug snorted, flicking the tip of his nose as she changed the subject. There was comfort in the familiar routine of outrageous flirt and put-upon heroine.

After making sure they were both clear on the routes they were expected to take- including designated points for their paths to cross- and extracting a promise from Chat to check in every fifteen minutes; there wasn’t much left.  Ladybug saluted, offering a “see you soon!” as she tossed out her yo-yo and just like that Chat was at her back, going the opposite direction.

It was going to be a long day.

Forty-five minutes in found Ladybug, grumpy and forced to hide and only giving half her attention to Chat’s face on her communicator. “People keep seeing me and running across the parade barriers trying to get my attention,” she grumbled. “I just got reprimanded by Officer Roger and asked to stay away because _I’m_ a hazard.” She huffed, sliding down the wall she was currently hiding behind. “How’s it going for you, kitty?”

“Maybe you should have taken up the mayor’s offer to be _in_ the parade since you’re stealing it’s thunder anyway.” Ladybug made a noise of disgust at the very idea which sent her partner into peals of laughter. “I’ve got something over this way that’ll make you feel better, come meet me!” And before Ladybug could question what, he disconnected.

She blinked at her communicator, the glowing green paw print marking Chat’s location and debated. On the one hand, they weren’t scheduled to cross paths yet. On the other hand, Officer Roger had his binoculars out and was glaring up at random roofs. It was an easy enough decision to make; she thought as she leapt from the safety of the roof, swinging in a wide curve to circle back around the direction she had started.

 

 

“Do you know the name for a group of ladybugs?” Chat grabbed her hand before she had even landed, lacing their fingers together and tugging her in his wake as he swung them under a conveniently exposed roof of a shop undergoing construction. “A loveliness.” He gestured down to the parade as it made a slow crawl through the street, music blaring from various floats mingling with the joyful shouts of the gathered crowds. Ladybug had to focus past all that, the noise and the motions and then she saw them: a baker’s dozen of costumed people with hair the color of midnight split into twin pigtails, all wearing red and black.

Some, more than half at least, sported perfect replicas of Ladybug’s suit. The others were variations on a theme: three or four had fake wings strapped to their backs (one of which seemed to be motorized and would lift and flutter before resting on the owner’s shoulders again.) Two were ladybugs in the loosest sense: red and black spotted crop tops and domino masks, but they each had a yo-yo in hand and spun and twisted, performing tricks with the simple toys that had nearby children shrill with joy. One person in the group sported a full-length ball gown, their mask an extravagant affair that rose over their brow and curled, sparkling with glitter in the sunlight. All the ladybugs danced and waved to the cheering crowd.

Ladybug drank the scene in, filled with a sense of awe and a dash of embarrassment that so many people would go so far in _her_ name. Then she let her eyes sweep the street, looking for what she was so sure had to be there. Except it wasn’t. There was no matching group of Chats anywhere in sight. She supposed they could be elsewhere, farther back or even closer to the head of the line, neither were areas she had seen herself yet. It was with a heavy heart that Ladybug realized the obvious: there was no troupe of chats to dance with the ladybugs. Her partner had been left out.

“Of course, none of them are as lovely as the real deal.” Chat said, mistaking her crestfallen expression for something else.

“There’s no you.” She blurted, bringing her hands to cover her heart because they very thought of it, of Ladybug in any form without Chat hurt like a physical thing.

Chat’s ears flicked, and she knew he had noticed the same thing. “So?” he said. “ _I_ don’t care. I think it’s amazing that there’s so many of you. That’s all that matters to me, that the city notices you as much as I do.”

“ _I_ care!” Ladybug hissed. “We’re a team for one thing, and for another there would _be_ no Ladybug, at least not me as Ladybug if it weren’t for you.”

Silence pressed into the scant space between them, here in their shadows while the world carried on beneath their feet. “You don’t mean that.” Chat’s voice was soft, barely loud enough to be heard over the din of the celebration so nearby.

Ladybug felt like her heart was in her throat trying to escape. She swallowed, willing it back into her chest. Today had gone so many unexpected directions, and it looked like they weren’t done yet. “I do, though.” She said, not looking at Chat and focusing on the parade as it slid by. The costumed ladybugs were replaced by jugglers, replaced by spangled acrobats cartwheeling down the street. The silence stretched as time slid by. “I was so scared that first day and ready to quit. You gave me the courage to keep going.” And, since it looked like she was already digging herself into a hole she would never crawl out of (that image of Chat earlier, hunched shoulders, vulnerable words spurring her on with her own confession) “You _always_ give me the courage to keep going. I need you, chaton.”

Whatever response he might have had, wherever this moment might have taken them was cut short by a shrill cry of _akuma!_ echoing down the throng of people. Ladybug sighed, squared her shoulders and tried to get back into the headspace of Hero. “I guess that’s our cue.”

Luckily the victim of the day was a poor choice for Hawk Moth; the young girl who was shoved into the cow costume for today’s parade against her will and was now more preoccupied with getting her revenge on all those who laughed at her than she was in retrieving the Miraculous.

She was taken care of faster than Chat could recite some terrible internet poetry about cows and licking bread. The subsequent fist bump carried a trace of awkwardness, a clawed finger flexing out to brush against the back of Ladybug’s hand. But people were closing in, calling their names and they were both experiencing a shrill countdown beep. It was with some reluctance that Ladybug bid her partner goodbye with a wink and a wave, tossing her yo-yo out to take her away before she was tempted to do or say something stupid like _Chat, follow me_.

 

Marinette dropped the transformation two streets away from home. She was left feeling more drained by the emotional intensity of the afternoon than by the actual battle and couldn’t help but wonder how long she and Chat could remain in the strange in-between place that was their partnership before something finally snapped. There were so many things to ask Tikki before then- Marinette took off at a sprint, eager to be in the safety of her bedroom so she could talk to her kwami.

Lost in her thoughts, Marinette was ill prepared for the ambush waiting outside the bakery in the form of one Alya Cesaire. Her best friend paced in front of the shop, looking at something on her phone and muttering in tones that varied between gleeful and annoyed. Marinette watched her for a minute before finding her voice. “Um?” was all she had managed before Alya turned her full attention on her.

“You!” hissed Alya with a dramatic finger point, which looked like it was going to be a _thing_ with her now . The pointing stopped and Alya crossed her arms in- what Marinette had long ago dubbed - _I know your secret_ pose. Marinette wondered if it was too late to take up praying. “You told me you were working.”

Oh no. There was no way this was going to end remotely well. Marinette pinched herself. “Yes.” 

“That wasn’t true was it?”

“Alya, I can explain.”

“I _saw_ you today.”

Vision tunneling at the sound of those four terrible words she reached out, digging fingers into Alya’s shoulders. “You can’t tell anyone, please.”

“You’re joking right? I’m pretty sure everyone knows it was you. Who else would dress up as Ladybug and then trip over their yo-yo.”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, I wanted to, but nobody’s supposed to know and I-” The conversation finally penetrated Marinette’s fog of panic over being found out. “I what now?”

“Look, I even got it on video.” Alya hit play on her phone and Marinette watched with a strange feeling of disconnect as the troupe of ladybugs from the parade filled the screen. One of the girls wearing the replica of Ladybug’s suit got tangled in her yo-yo string and face planted with a squawk of surprise. Marinette had to admit that she did sound a little like her.

“Yup, that’s me alright,” Marinette said somewhat woodenly.

“You should have told me; I would have helped you practice. It’s okay though, all will be forgiven if you show me the costume.”

The lie bubbled up before she gave it any thought. “Can’t, I don’t have it. I was a last minute replacement. The girl who was supposed to do it got sick, and they asked me to step in because we’re the same size.” She found herself giggling, a little worried that she may be having a breakdown in front of one of her best friends.

Alya didn’t look as disappointed about that as Marinette expected. “That explains a lot actually. Hey, did you see the akuma attack today? I have a video of that too. Ladybug and Chat were in rare form today which was a good thing because the akuma was hitting people with a cowbell and let me tell you: it is never time for more cowbell.” She linked arms with Marinette and despite the promised video, launched into a blow by blow recount of the fight as they stepped into the bakery.

She didn’t give Marinette a chance to answer, which was fine because it meant one less lie for the day and it was easy enough to “ooh” and “ah” at the right points in the story.

The video did finally make an appearance once they were settled into Marinette’s bedroom with a tray full of snacks. It was shot from a distance, apparently against Alya’s will and at Nino’s insistence, something Marinette was grateful for. Marinette watched herself and Chat bounce across the screen; she couldn’t help but wonder where her partner was now, if he stayed to watch the rest of the parade or if he returned home, to the life that caused that moment of smallness today.

Alya declined the offer to stay for dinner, insisting she had to get home to help with her sisters. Before leaving she leaned in for a hug goodbye. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “Your secret’s safe with me, best girl.” Then she was gone with a called out _see you at school tomorrow!_

  
It might not be her actual secret, but there was something warm in her chest knowing her friend had her back like that. Marinette went down to the bakery to help her parents close up feeling lighter than she had all day.


End file.
